Nowadays, medicine provides women with the safest possible childbirth, which can lead to problems in isolated cases. However, this was not the case in ancient times. Women understood that childbirth was a great danger for them. Many were afraid to give birth, because they knew that almost every second woman in labor dies from blood loss or infections.The book by Diana Yumakaeva, an obstetrician-gynecologist and author of a blog on the history of medicine, will take you to a time when childbirth and pregnancy were surrounded by a lot of superstitions.INTERESTING FACTS THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU:- Childbirth was not an intimate event for all tribes. It was customary for the aborigines of the Sandwich Islands to call the public. Moreover, the audience could comment on what was happening and give advice to the woman in labor.- For centuries, women have preferred to give birth in a wide variety of poses. For example, ancient Persian women made a small pyramid out of stones, against which they rested their hands and knees — this was how childbirth took place.- In Holland, the maternity chair was an obligatory part of the bride's dowry.- To avoid infertility, girls from aristocratic families wore a belt decorated with golden patterns in the form of cowry shells, symbolizing female genitals.- Among Native Americans, a woman was supposed to spend twenty days after giving birth in her room in absolute darkness. Sunlight was not supposed to touch the skin of the mother and child. At the end of the term, a celebration was held in the house.- Hippocrates "blamed" the uterus for all the misfortunes. In the Hippocratic Corpus, the diagnosis of "wandering uterus" is found for the first time. It was believed that she could travel freely through a woman's body.- The first doctors in Rome were Greek prisoners who had the status of slaves. Every wealthy citizen was ordered to have a slave doctor in the house."'The Curse of Eve' is read in one breath. The book immerses us in the history of obstetrics, starting from ancient times. And even if sometimes you get distracted by thoughts about how lucky you are to be born and give birth in the 21st century, the book really fascinates. Chapter by chapter, we learn what a colossal path obstetrics has taken. How many incredible discoveries and names are hidden behind this. Who is this book for? For everyone who wants to learn more about the history of medicine, as well as about what it cost millions of women to continue the human race." — DARIA MIKHAILOVA, pharmacist, author of the medical blog @about_apteka and the book "MEDICINES from... Pharmacist about essential medicines and what does not belong in your medicine cabinet"